Water and Sanitation

In Cambodia, water-borne diseases like typhoid fever, hepatitis and diarrhoea are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, only 34% of Cambodians have access to safe drinking water.

Sanitation is also a serious issue. Only 16% of Cambodians have access to appropriate sanitation. These numbers can drop below 10% in the provinces surrounding the Tonle Sap. Few people use latrines or have access to improved drinking water sources. This contributes to the high prevalence of water-related diseases.

In the floating communities of the Tonle Sap, these issues pose even more of a problem. The lake is the source of water for many activities such as bathing, drinking, washing and irrigation. Unfortunately, all liquid and solid waste is also discharged into the lake, including open sewage, solid waste, toxic pesticides and chemicals.

Bacterial levels around floating houses are up to ten times higher than in surrounding lake areas. This indicates the high environmental and direct health impact due to the lack of sanitation and waste treatment systems.18 Dilution through flooding and rain in the wet season tends to limit these impacts. However, in the dry season the lake reduces its size significantly. During this period, the health and environmental problems become more severe. This is exacerbated by population growth through seasonal and long term migration.

Sanitation should consider the needs of all community members. Lack of sanitation in schools, particularly high schools, is considered to be a major cause of girls dropping out of schools due to an inability to safely and privately manage their sanitation needs including menstrual hygiene.

Disability access and an ageing population with limited mobility is also a consideration in sanitation.

The situation on the Tonle Sap means that access to safe water sources, sanitation and waste management are more interconnected than in other parts of Cambodia. Integrated designs and management systems are essential. However, the floating context makes it difficult to apply directly many of the solutions used on firm ground. A classic problem is the design of a latrine for a floating house. At the moment, there are no simple solutions to this problem.